A woman has been booked for allegedly selling herseven-day-old daughter for Rs 10,000 to a neighbour at Kathghar area ofMoradabad district in Uttar Pradesh.
The matter came to light when the woman herself went to theSSP office to lodge a complaint against her neighbour, saying that she wantedher daughter back.
On being questioned, she admitted that she had sold herdaughter to the neighbour two months back.
The SSP directed the station house officer (SHO) of Kathgharpolice station to detain the woman and register an FIR against her.
The police later told reporters that the woman was marriednearly three years ago and separated from her husband after she gave birth to ababy girl on January 4. Since she was living alone and her daughter had amedical condition, she allegedly threw the newborn on a railway track.
However, the baby was saved by her neighbour, Rekha, whooffered to adopt the baby.
As part of the deal, an ‘agreement of adoption’ was preparedon a stamp paper and baby’s mother was reportedly given Rs 10,000 for her’consent’.
Two months after giving up her baby, the woman apparentlyhad a change of heart and approached Rekha and asked to return her daughter,but the latter refused.
Rekha is unmarried and lives in the same locality as thechild’s biological mother. She said, “I adopted the girl on January 8. Hermedical condition was critical. A proper agreement was made but at that time, Iwas not aware that a baby cannot be adopted in such a manner.”
Additional SP Deepak Bhuker said, “Rekha had adoptedthe girl when she was on the verge of dying. We have booked the baby’s motherfor showing cruelty against her daughter. Decision on adoption will be taken upby child welfare committee.”